The present invention relates to a hand held optical reading device, a printer for the hand held device, and a card swipe reader for the hand held device. Hand held devices are generally portable and have a display module and a keypad that allow for either manually actuating buttons on the keypad or touch screen keys on the display module. The keypad or touch screen may be used by an operator for inputting data within the device, and the optical reader of the device may read bar code symbols and other forms of data in order to collect data within the device.
Given the current technology, a commercial transaction would require for a retail salesperson and a customer to be located at a check-out counter in order for a bill the be generated, a receipt to be printed, and payment to be accepted. By embedding a hand held optical reading device with a printer and card swipe reader, a retail salesperson may be provided with the portable ability to generate a bill, print a receipt, and accept payment for the commercial transaction at any location within the business site. In addition, the customer may be allowed to remain in one location throughout the entire commercial transaction process.